7 Days Afcon 2027 Northern Circuit Wildlife Safari from Arusha

Morning Departure from Arusha

Our professional safari guide will collect you from your hotel or another agreed location in Arusha. After a short introduction to the itinerary, you will depart in a private four-wheel-drive safari vehicle and travel through the countryside toward Tarangire National Park. Along the way, you will pass local communities, farmland, Maasai settlements and open landscapes.

Tarangire Elephant Safari

After completing the entrance formalities, you will begin exploring Tarangire’s baobab-covered plains, acacia woodland and river valleys. The park is renowned for its large elephant population, and you may observe family herds feeding, walking through the savannah or gathering around water sources. Our guide will also search for giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, warthogs and baboons.

Lunch and Afternoon Wildlife Viewing

You will stop at a designated picnic site for lunch before continuing around the Tarangire River and seasonal wetlands. Lions, leopards and cheetahs inhabit the park, although sightings depend on their location and natural movements. Later in the afternoon, you will leave the park and travel through the Great Rift Valley landscape to Karatu.

Night stay: Selected lodge or tented camp in Karatu.

Journey through the Ngorongoro Highlands

After breakfast, you will leave Karatu and travel into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The road climbs through forested highlands before continuing across open plains used by Maasai pastoralists, livestock and wild animals. You will enjoy impressive views of Tanzania’s highland scenery while travelling toward Naabi Hill.

Enter Serengeti National Park

After completing the necessary procedures at Naabi Hill Gate, you will enter Serengeti National Park and stop for lunch at an arranged location. Your journey toward the Seronera region will become a game drive, giving you opportunities to see zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, gazelles and spotted hyenas.

Afternoon Seronera Game Drive

You will explore the open plains, river valleys and rocky kopjes of Central Serengeti. Our guide will search for lions resting around the kopjes, leopards concealed in riverine trees and cheetahs watching the grasslands for prey. The game drive will continue until late afternoon, when you will proceed to your selected accommodation.

Night stay: Selected lodge or tented camp in Central Serengeti.

Morning Predator Search

You will begin your full-day Serengeti game drive after breakfast. Morning temperatures are cooler, and predators may remain active after the night. Our guide will search for lions, leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas while following wildlife tracks and recent sighting information.

Seronera River Valley

Your safari will continue around the Seronera River and its surrounding woodland. Permanent water sources make this region a productive wildlife habitat throughout the year. You may encounter elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, zebras, wildebeest and numerous antelope species.

Picnic Lunch and Afternoon Safari

Around midday, you will stop at a designated picnic location for lunch. You will then explore additional parts of Central Serengeti selected according to wildlife activity and seasonal conditions. During certain months, migratory wildebeest and zebra herds may pass through the area, but their location depends on rainfall, water and fresh grazing.

Night stay: Selected lodge or tented camp in Central Serengeti.

Early Wildlife Exploration

After breakfast, you will depart for another full day of game viewing. Our guide will use a different combination of routes, allowing you to explore habitats that were not covered during the previous day. Early hours may provide opportunities to observe predators moving across the plains or resting after a successful hunt.

Rocky Kopjes and Open Plains

You will visit areas with granite kopjes that provide shelter, shade and elevated observation points for lions. Leopards may be found around woodland and riverine habitats, while cheetahs favour open grasslands where they can use their remarkable speed. You may also see elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and gazelles.

Lunch and Afternoon Photography

After lunch at a designated location, you will continue through the vast Seronera landscape. Our guide will allow appropriate time for photography and wildlife observation while maintaining a safe and responsible distance from the animals. The afternoon light can create beautiful conditions for photographing wildlife, kopjes and acacia-dotted plains.

Night stay: Selected lodge or tented camp in Central Serengeti.

Flexible Private Game Drive

Your private safari allows you to begin the day at an agreed time and focus on the animals or habitats that interest you most. Our guide may revisit a productive predator territory, follow information about a special sighting or explore a quieter section of Central Serengeti.

Wildlife and Birdwatching Experience

In addition to large mammals, you will have opportunities to observe some of the Serengeti’s diverse birdlife. Depending on the habitats visited, you may see eagles, vultures, secretary birds, hornbills, kori bustards and colourful smaller species. Our guide will help you identify both resident and migratory birds encountered during the game drive.

Lunch and Final Full-Day Exploration

You will stop for lunch in the park before continuing with the afternoon game drive. This extended exploration provides another opportunity to search for elusive leopards, observe lion prides or encounter elephants and buffaloes near water sources. You will return to your accommodation after completing the day’s wildlife activities.

Night stay: Selected lodge or tented camp in Central Serengeti.

Final Morning in Serengeti

After breakfast, you will begin your final game drive in Central Serengeti. Our guide will focus on areas where interesting activity has recently been reported or search for animals you may not have encountered during the previous days. You may see lions returning from nighttime hunts, cheetahs scanning the plains or elephants travelling toward water.

Seronera Wildlife Viewing

You will continue exploring river valleys, open plains and rocky areas while gradually travelling toward the southern side of the park. This gives you a final opportunity to photograph Serengeti’s wildlife and landscapes before reaching Naabi Hill Gate.

Journey to Ngorongoro

After lunch, you will leave Serengeti National Park and travel across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The journey passes broad plains, volcanic landscapes and Maasai communities living alongside wildlife. Later, you will proceed to your selected accommodation near the crater or in Karatu.

Night stay: Selected lodge or tented camp near Ngorongoro or in Karatu.

Crater Viewpoint and Descent

Following an early breakfast, you will travel to the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Our guide will stop at a panoramic viewpoint before descending approximately 600 metres to the crater floor. The immense caldera contains grasslands, wetlands, freshwater pools, woodland and a seasonal lake supporting an exceptional concentration of animals.

Big Five Wildlife Search

You will explore the crater in search of lions, elephants, buffaloes and the endangered black rhinoceros. Leopards occur within the wider conservation area but are rarely encountered on the open crater floor. You may also see wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, spotted hyenas, golden jackals and numerous bird species.

Hippo Pool Lunch and Afternoon Game Drive

Around midday, you will stop at a designated picnic location, commonly near a freshwater pool inhabited by hippos. After lunch, our guide will take you through Lerai Forest, open grasslands and areas surrounding the seasonal lake. Flamingos and other aquatic birds may be present when water levels and feeding conditions are favourable.

Crater Ascent and Return to Arusha

In the afternoon, you will complete the final wildlife-viewing circuit and ascend the crater wall. You will then travel through Karatu, Mto wa Mbu and the Great Rift Valley countryside toward Arusha. Our guide will drop you off at your hotel or another agreed location, concluding your private seven-day safari during AFCON 2027.